PC-Atlas is a mouse optional program. Its minimum requirements are an 8086 with twin 5.25 inch drives. Of course, it runs much better on a system with a 386 or better, colour graphics, a hard drive, and a mouse. Installed, it will fit comfortably on a 3.5 inch disk.
The program is menu driven, requiring the user to switch between different levels of maps, from a global view, to a continent or part continent view, down to the state, or, in most cases, country level. A fourth level is possible by enlarging a specified region on a map ("zooming in"). Included on the maps are some important features such as capital cities and major lakes and rivers. Colour and texture are used to delineate different features.
To use the program, you select a region to "focus in" on from the global view. Further "focussing in" is possible, although below the state/country level, the degree of detail is very low. It is also possible to search for any feature by name, to "point and shoot" a city and thus display a state/country by itself, to "focus in" on a feature by way of a mouse, to "zoom in" on features, or even to magnify a region you mark out yourself. The only drawback with all of these possibilities is that not all other options are possible with some of these levels of enlargement, and you may thus have to "focus out" a level or two. Connected to the maps and cities are a series of database files, recording demographic and economic data. This information can be called up at will.
While this is a simple program, it can be a trifle confusing to use. As mentioned, some options only work at certain levels and it is not always clear which level you are on. The documentation supplied is very brief. It will get you started, but after that you may need to create your own guidebook.
PC-Atlas allows a great degree of control otherwise. Colours/textures can be changed. Captions for geographic features can be moved, turned on or off, or edited. New features and their captions can be added where desired, including cities, lakes and rivers, and "other features" (such as sampling areas or cultural regions). With a mouse, "other features" can be plotted point by point. Data files can be updated, and important information about new features can be stored in attached text files.
PC-Atlas supports only basic printing. Any level of map, or stored information file, can be sent either to a printer, or into a PCX file, which can, for example, be read and modified by MS-Word. Otherwise, the user has no control over the output.
Windows-to-the-World-Atlas (W-Atlas) runs in a similar fashion to PC-Atlas. However, the W- Atlas is much larger and will not run off one 3.5 inch disk when installed. W-Atlas is no more graphic than PC-Atlas, although it will play the first two lines of the national anthem of the country "focussed on" and will display its national flag in a separate window.
Like PC-Atlas, W-Atlas allows the same control information, colour/texture, and, additionally, music and graphics files can be added or modified. Unlike PC-Atlas, W-Atlas does not support the creation of user-defined regions, and I found this a big minus.
All in all, despite their limitations (which are understandable considering the price), these programs are handy, little packages. PC-Atlas has a tremendous potential for record keeping with its support for user-defined regions which can be linked to text files.
Both products are marketed by COSMI Inc. and retail for $14.95. The address for PC-Atlas, copyright 1991, is given as 2600 Homestead Place, Rancho Dominguez, CA, USA 90220 (310) 886-3510, while that of W-Atlas, copyright 1992, is listed as 431 North Figuerora Street, Wilmington, CA, USA 90744 (310) 835-9687.